First Day Abroad

Driving in Finland: licence, roads and tolls

Part of the Finland arrival guide.

This information may change. Always check the official source.Last verified: August 2026 by

Driving in Finland: the three basics

Drives on the
right

The driver sits on the left and overtakes on the left. Roundabouts turn anticlockwise.

Your licence
EU licence is enough

An EU, EEA or Swiss licence is valid as it stands. A licence from anywhere else works alongside an International Driving Permit, which hire desks and police expect to see.

Motorways
Free

There is no motorway charge for a car.

Finnish roads are free, speeding fines are calculated from income, and the elk are a real hazard rather than a joke.

Free roads, income-based speeding fines, and wildlife large enough to come through the windscreen.

  • Speeding fines are day fines proportional to income, which has produced individual penalties in the tens of thousands of euros. The number on the sign is the number to drive.
  • Elk and reindeer collisions are the classic Finnish accident, worst at dawn and dusk in autumn. Reindeer in Lapland walk on the road and do not move.
  • Winter tyres are compulsory from November to March when conditions require, and studded tyres are permitted between November and Easter.
  • The alcohol limit is 0.5 g/l and enforcement includes routine roadside testing.
  • Dipped headlights are compulsory day and night, all year.
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Sources (1)

What this guide was checked against. Rules and prices change — follow the official link before you rely on a detail.